The PitterPatter of Little Paws
by NukeMyWaffle
Summary: Grimmjow has a problem. It comes to about his hip and is both clueless and intellegent. He knows he can't handle this "problem" on his own and that means going for help in the World of the Living...help in the form of a MOTHER.
1. The Kid, pt 1

I do believe it's time for a fanfic from my idea board. Here ya go.

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Full Metal Alchemist/Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Mai-Hime

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"The Pitter-Patter of Little Paws"**

**-**

**Chapter 1:**

**"The Kid, pt 1"**

Having something heavy sitting on one's chest made things a bit uncomfortable to breathe when one is trying to take a nap but it was ignorable. Having little fingers pinch one's nose shut has the same results, since one _can_ breathe through one's mouth. However, having a hand keeping one's mouth closed deprives one of much needed oxygen and tends to wake one up…in a _very_ pissed off mood.

And Grimmjow didn't _care_ that Wonderweiss was Tousen's little shadow in white—he was going to _kill _the little bastard for…interrupting…his…nap…

Grimmjow looked at the small Arrancar he had by the shirt front, blinking dumbfoundedly at the surprised little Hollow with the broken mask. "You're…not Wonderweiss."

"Uh, nope." The little Arrancar replied. "Sorry."

Grimmjow's surprise turned to a scowl. "You woke me up from my nap and snuck into my room. What the hell gives you the right to just come in here and try to suffocate me? You wanna be an Espada that badly? Go after Yammy. He's a damn pushover. I'm Number 6, kid."

"Why would I wanna be an Espada when I'm the equivalint to 8 years old?" The boy asked cluelessly, mildly surprising Grimmjow. "An' I tried knocking and shakin' you awake but neither worked so I had to think of something else…an' that's as far as I got in the planning stages."

Grimmjow sighed and released the kid to lay back on his bed again, this kid sitting on his stomach above his hole. "What are you doin' in here, Kid? Why sneak into _my_ room?"

"Uh, 'cuz you're here." He answered honestly. "An' my name's not 'Kid'. It's 'Riddick'."

"Riddick, huh?" Grimmjow repeated, putting his arms behind his head. He noted the stylized hilt just passed the kid's shoulder. "That your zanpakuto, Riddick?"

"Yup! Tha's my Negro Gato!" Riddick grinned, giving Grimmjow the perfect view of his sharp kitty cat fangs. "It means 'Black Cat'! It's kinda dangerous so I gotta keep the straps buckled or it attacks people when they get too close to me, whether I move to them or they to me. Learned that when I was next to that Arrancar with the floating heads in that tank on his shoulders." Riddick blinked for a minute then looked at Grimmjow innocently. "Is that one Yammy?"

"Wait one goddamn minute." Grimmjow propped himself up to get about eye level to the smaller Arrancar. "You're tellin' me that you don't know the hell which Espada is which?"

"No! I know who's who!" Riddick responded indignantly with a bit of a blush. "You're Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, the _Sexta Espada_! An' Halibel-san is the _Tercera Espada_ an' Stark-san is the _Primera Espada_!"

Grimmjow just looked at the kid Arracar with a slight unimpressed look. "That's all the ones you know, isn't it?"

Riddick blushed indignately but darker this time, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes and jerked his head to the side. "Tha's none of your goddamn business!" Grimmjow flicked him in the temple. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Watch your mouth. You swear again an' the next one will _really_ hurt, got it?" The elder Arrancar scolded as Riddick rubbed his temple.

"Yeah, I got it." Riddick muttered. "Man, you're a goddamn hypocrite—ow!"

Grimmjow's filck had been a little harder this time and at the dead center of Riddick's forehead. "I don't care. You said it yourself, Kid—you're 8 and kids your age shouldn't swear. If you're stickin' yourself to me as my Fraccion, you swear and you get hit."

"Who the _hell_ said I was a weak ass _Fraccion_?!" Riddick spat, sounding a lot like the Espada who he was still sitting on. "I'm a goddamn _Espada-level_! I could take on anyone of you and beat the shit outta you!"

This time, Grimmjow sat up which tossed Riddick back, grabbed the front of Riddick's shirt, jerked the kid forward and planted his fist_ hard_ into the kid's skull. Riddick knocked for a loop for a second before his senses returned and a different reaction kicked in. Much to Grimmjow's surprise, Riddick started _crying_ like a human little kid.

"You're mean!" Riddick half wailed, still mostly hanging from Grimmjow's grip on his shirt front.

_Those crocodile tears sure as hell ain't fake. Neither is his fluxing reiatsu._ Grimmjow thought, looking at this kid Arrancar before him. _The Kid wasn't kidding. His reiatsu's up there with Wonderweiss'. If he's so strong, why doesn't he just make himself an Espada? He could easily hold the seat and kill his competition._

Now that Grimmjow was _really_ looking at Riddick and not just looking at some small Arrancar, he was actually surprised by Riddick'd appearance. Riddick had the same sky blue hair as he did and in a neater though similar style. The remnants of his mask were the right lower jaw bone and a curved ridge above his left eye, on his forehead but close to his temple. The teal markings by _his_ eyes were actually more like accent lines on his upper lids with a tad of flair. He had two small gold hoops in his left ear lobe and one in his right. His clothes were a high collared Arrancar jacket with short sleeves and black hem and zipper with a black long sleeve undershirt and white long shorts. His boots went over his knees and his hands were half covered by his sleeves.

Without the thick strap and buckle over his chest that kept his zanpakuto to his back, Riddick could have passed as a normal kid in the human world. His actions were definitely that of a child and he seemed to idolize Grimmjow like all kids did their heroes, hence the cursing. And it was this tearful reaction that made Grimmjow realize that despite all that power inside him, despite being a Hollow, an Arrancar, Riddick was _still_ just a child.

"Come on, time to stop the water works." Grimmjow said, lowering Riddick onto his bed instead of half in the air and half in his lap. "You're an Espada-level Arrancar. You've got _heirro_, iron skin. Those flicks and that punch should have felt like nothing."

"But we weren't fighting!" Riddick half sobbed with a sniff.

_You mean…shit, this Kid doesn't have conscious control over his abilities._ The Sexta Espada realized, rubbing his face with his hand. "So, you only get iron skin in a fight, huh?"

"Yeah, so?" Riddick was calming down now and he gave a big sniff before wiping his nose on the back of one sleeve while drying an eye with the other.

"_So_, that means you gotta be more careful. If I hadn't noticed who you were when you woke me up, you would've been dead." The elder Arrancar explained. "You need to learn that and _fast_ if you're ever gonna be an Espada."

"It comes on its own whenever I'm in a fight." Riddick said, looking at Grimmjow with wet _purple_ eyes. He sniffed again and dried his other eye as well as wiping the tears from his cheeks. "I dunno why. It just does. Figured that out when Apache attacked me for accidentally sneezing on her. She attacked me but nuthin' happened to me but she got the floor around me pretty good."

_An automatic reaction with a subconsciously perceived threat. He doesn't have control because he doesn't need it. All of his powers have to be either naturally second-nature or subconscious._ Grimmjow thought, absentmindedly running his hand through the kid's soft hair and lightly ruffling it. It made Riddick smile and close his eyes, leaning into Grimmjow's hand. _It could explain why his zanpakuto is so powerful because it's self aware as a branch of his subconscious and then lashes out at anything it perceives as a danger to its master. It's an immature blade for an immature Arrancar…damn, it makes perfect sense._

And now that it made sense to Grimmjow, there was one person Grimmjow would have to take Riddick to see in order to be right. Hopefully, Aizen wouldn't mind Grimmjow paying a visit with a kid tagging along.

"You know who Aizen is, right?" Grimmjow asked, taking his hand from the kid's hair.

"Yeah, of course." Riddick responded with a bit of a pout. He had liked the absentminded affection. "Aizen-sama's a soul reaper an' the leader of the Arrancar. Los Noches was built for the purpose of a full functioning base and a secure location within the shifting dangers of Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow had to admit that this kid was really smart. "Good. You up to helping me find him?"

"He's that way." Riddick said bluntly and without a moment's hesitation, pointing in the straight-lined direction of the brown haired soul reaper. It surprised Grimmjow that Riddick could do that but in case the kid was pulling his leg…

"Where's Halibel?" Grimmjow was rewarded with a shift of Riddick's hand, pointing towards the Tercera Espada's room. "And Stark?" Again, Riddick pointed towards the correct Espada's personal area. "And Aaroniero?"

"Who?" Riddick asked cluelessly.

"The _Nueva Espada_, the one with fish tank with 2 heads." Grimmjow answered, remembering that Riddick only knew three of the 10 Espada. "That's Aaroniero Arruruerio."

"Oh, he's thatta way." Riddick pointed with his thumb towards the 9th Espada's personal area.

That was impressive but if Riddick didn't know who was who, it would get him killed. Grimmjow _had_ to get him to recognize the other 6 by their reiatsu at the very least.

"All right, there are 10 Espada and you know 4. Barragan Luisebarn is the _Segunda Espada_ and he ranks between Halibel and Stark. Can you sense someone with power between theirs?" Grimmjow asked. Riddick closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. His brow furrowed a little as he started to point one way then changed it to another direction. "Are you sure?"

"There's…6 Fraccion near this one and there's a soul reaper near the other. An Espada has Fraccion so this one's the Segunda Espada." Riddick answered, still pointing towards Barragan's location. He opened his eyes and straightened his head. "Wonderweiss sticks near someone named 'Tousen' and Halibel-san says that he's a soul reaper so that other one has to be Wonderweiss and Tousen."

"He ranks with the old man, huh?" Grimmjow earned a cute, clueless shrug. "All right, next one. After Halibel is the _Cuatra Espada_, Ulquiorra Schiffer. Locate _him_."

Riddick closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side again before point to the side. "That way."

_So, most of us are in our rooms. That's good._ Grimmjow thought to himself. The less Espada he had to come across, the easier it would be to get Riddick to see Aizen. "After Ulquiorra but before me is the _Quinta Espada_ named Nnoitra Jigura. Locate him."

Riddick didn't open his eyes or correct his head. He just stayed like that, obviously using a type of radar that seemed to work in that position. He pointed behind him. "He's that way."

Also in his room. This was good. "After me is the _Septima Espada_, Zommari Leroux." After a few moments, Riddick pointed towards the Espada's room yet again. "Now, the _Octava Espada_, Szayel Aporro Grantz." Turned out the scientist was _also_ in his personal area. "Good, now for the 10th. This one is Yammy, the _Decima Espada_."

"That's easy, he's not that strong." Riddick said after a half second as he opened his eyes and straightened his head. "He's that way…and beating up on some Gillians."

_The dumbass._ Grimmjow thought, mentally rolling hiss eyes. "That's good. Now that you know their reiatsu, you shouldn't have any problem avoiding them because 2, 5, 8, 9 and 10 would _love_ to squish a kid like you. Ulquiorra wouldn't give you the time of day and Zommari would probably just ignore you as well."

"How come?" Riddick asked innocently.

"Just the way they are." Grimmjow answered as he got to his feet. "And speaking of which, normally, I'd have killed you for annoying me."

"Then why haven't you?" Riddick asked with that curious innocence yet again.

Yeah, why hadn't Grimmjow killed him yet? "I dunno. Don't feel like it, I guess."

"Maybe Aizen-sama can tell you. He's the one who broke your mask, right? Then he'd _definitely_ be able to help." Riddick suggested with that childish air of his and a big smile.

"I was plannin' on seeing him anyway." The 6th Espada admitted.

Riddick crawled off Grimmjow's bed and hopped onto the floor. "Then let's go see him!" He took Grimmjow's hand and pulled the elder Arrancar towards the door. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

_Damn, you'd think I told him we were going to the park._ He thought, letting the kid half tow him out of his own room and down the hall. Being towed like this reminded Grimmjow of that little pink soul reaper and her giant battle-crazy captain. It made him wonder just how strong Riddick really was.

Riddick took Grimmjow down shortcuts and passage ways that the Sexta Espada hadn't realized that they had even been there. It was like Riddick had a whole map in his head. He probably did, knowing Aizen and his experiments. Though, it would be handy if this kid really did attach himself to the feline Espada. He could probably get the kid to spy on Ulquiorra for him.

"This way!" Riddick pulled Grimmjow into a niche and pressed his back against the wall, his eyes squeezed shut. Po, one of Barragan's Fraccion, lumbered by, not even noticing the 2 other males. Riddick cracked one eye open then opened both, now that Po had lumbered away.

Riddick looked up at Grimmjow. "He didn't see us, did he?"

"The idiot just went on by, didn't even glance our way." Grimmjow was wondering why Riddick had asked. Riddick looked relieved at the elder male's answer. "Why does it matter?"

"I never had someone with me before when I came this way. I wasn't sure that I could do it and keep ya from gettin' squished." Riddick answered honestly, surprisng Grimmjow. "I got a secret. You wanna know what it is?"

"Sure, Kid." Grimmjow nodded. "What is it?"

The little Arrancar looked around then motioned for Grimmjow to come closer. Curiosity got the better of the Feline Espada and Grimmjow crouched, letting Riddick cup his hands around his ear.

"I can disappear." Riddick whispered excitedly before pulling back. Grimmjow was about to tell the kid that it was sonido, a technique all Arrancar could use, but Riddick wasn't there.

"Kid?" Grimmjow called in low volume, standing up. He looked around. "Kid! Yo, Riddick!" A soft tug on his hakama made Grimmjow look at the smaller light blue haired Arrancar barely a foot from where he had been standing. "Where'd you go?"

Riddick gave Grimmjow the mini version of his own psycho grin. "I disappeared."

"Yeah, you sure did." Grimmjow scratched his head. This kid was really weird. He wasn't a typical Arrancar, even being so small and at the same level as an Espada. "How'd you do that?"

Riddick shrugged, his grin gone. "I dunno. I did the same thing to Stark-san for about 20 minutes before Halibel-san picked me up by the back of my clothes and told me to knock it off. Apparently, poking Stark-san to look at me when I disappear is a good way to give him a headache."

Yeah, _apparently_.

Grimmjow picked up Riddick and just tucked him under his arm. "Come on, kid. Let's go see Aizen about this 'disappearing' thing."

"Aw, come on!" Riddick half whined as Grimmjow followed the now recognized path to the "grand hall" of sorts. "I can walk! I'm a big boy!"

"I ain't Stark, Kid." Grimmjow responded, not missing a beat. "I don't tolerate headaches. I kick their asses and I'd end up putting you in a casket."

Riddick looked up at the bigger Arrancar. "What's a casket?"

"Never mind."

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Oh, this is going to be interesting...


	2. The Kid, pt 2

Long Overdue Chappie 2 For You! Mwa Ha--It rhymes!

Sorry--happy!

Reviews:

**Harpygirl91:** Kitty-spada is the HOTTEST Espada, thank you very much. It's only right to have a Grimmjow fangirl write a Grimmjowx? Fanfic, yes?

**Dark Queen Helba:** No need to worry about EITHER of those things...I think.

* * *

Full Metal Alchemist/Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Mai-Hime

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"The Pitter-Patter of Little Paws"**

**-**

**Chapter 2:**

**"The Kid, pt 2"**

**-**

"Ah, Grimmjow."Aizen greeted, like he had known the Sexta Espada had been coming. Of course, with the way Los Noches was wired, Grimmjow didn't suspect it in the least. "What brings you to see me?"

"I got woken up by a short somebody." Grimmjow said as he felt Riddick clutch the back of his hakama. He had put the boy down in order to open the large double doors that wouldn't open without the other and since then, Riddick had been _glued_ to the back of his legs. "And I was wondering 'why' but the kid doesn't have any answers, just more questions."

"Ah, so, that's where you disappeared to. What a curious little kitten." Aizen probably had the kid wired for sound and video, too. "I know you're hiding behind him, Riddick. Come on out. You know I won't hurt you. You're not going to be punished for going to see him."

"…But you told me to stay put…" Riddick mumbled, peering around Grimmjow's hip. "…I disobeyed…"

Aizen chuckled softly. "I _expected_ you to. That's why I gave you those instructions."

"Toying with the kid's kinda low." Grimmjow commented, feeling a bit protective over the suddenly super shy Arrancar squirt.

"I wasn't toying with him. I was merely seeing if there was any damage. His mask had been quite stubborn to break so I'm afraid I had to be a bit forceful. When I told him to stay put, I expected him to go wandering off." The traitor shinigami explained. "We spoke of you right in front of him on purpose, to peak his curiosity and when he disappeared, I suspected he went looking for you. However, the expectation was that he'd run into the others first and have to be rescued, since he is still very young. I hadn't expected him to go straight to your room like he had. It was if he knew where you were exactly and he sought you out."

Grimmjow found that surprising, despite knowing what Riddick could do. "He went straight to my room? No detours, no getting lost? Just _straight_ to me?"

"Yes. Though I have to admit that I should have known better than assume he'd get lost. After all, you two surprisingly quite similar." Aizen remarked, getting a "huh?" look from Grimmjow and Riddick to duck behind the Espada again. "Riddick, step out from behind Grimmjow."

"…yes, Aizen-sama…" Riddick reluctantly obeyed and came out from Grimmjow's shadow to stand about 2 feet from the elder Arrancar. His eyes were down on the floor and his hands were behind his back. And he seemed to be playing Nervous Footsie with himself.

"Riddick, I know we discussed this in front of you and I know you asked questions about him from Stark and Halibel." Aizen pointed out. "Didn't you tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Grimmjow asked. Was this kid sent to replace him, like Luppi?

"Tell me, Grimmjow." Aizen instructed. "Why didn't you kill him for waking you up?"

"I dunno. Didn't feel like it." Grimmjow responded.

"You let him drag you around, annoy you and frustrate you and yet he still lives." Aizen was getting to something and it was beginning to piss the tattooed Hollow off. "And a moment ago, you _defended_ him—even _scolded_ him thrice in your room and _comforted_ him. Do you know why yet?"

"No, I don't but that I ain't why I'm really here." Grimmjow shot back, obviously annoyed. "This kid and his zanpakuto—nothing's conscious for him except the disappearing thing he can do. His sword _attacks_ people on its own. He can sense the others with only meeting two and he can judge power without even knowing who it is. Then there's the fact that he practically _looks_ like a shrunken version of me. I want to know who the hell this kid really is."

"He's your _son_."

Aizen's statement went right over his head. "Huh?"

"Riddick, state your full name." Aizen instructed, looking at the small Arrancar.

"…Riddick…Helios…Jaggerjaques…" Riddick mumbled, not looking up to meet Grimmjow's gaze.

"He's my…" Grimmjow began to snort like it was some joke as he looked at Aizen. The shinigami nodded, closing his eyes during the motion. "You're serious? He's my…?"

Aizen touched a button on his arm rest and an image of a curled up bone covered infant cat in a container appeared. That little feline had a hole in its chest and looked a lot like Grimmjow had before he became an Arrancar…only really, _really_ small. This small little Hollow opened its eyes a crack, showing a slit of purple before closing them again.

"That was Riddick before he was strong enough to survive on his own. When he was a bit older, thus stronger, he looked almost like your double, except he had 2 tails they looked like they had blades at the end." Aizen continued, pressing the button and turning the image off. "When he was ready, we began the process and trust me when I say that there wasn't even a Vasto Lorde who stood up against this child. He took them down without fear and consumed them without hesitation. And he was _constantly_ hungry. There wasn't even a Numero or Fraccion that was safe from him."

Grimmjow felt his knees buckle and had to sit down before he collapsed. And he sat right where he had been standing with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "…How…how…how is it even _possible_ that I got a kid? I mean, I was a Vasto Lorde and all I was concerned with was getting stronger, gaining more power. I barely stopped and rested, let alone had time to…"

"Your guess is as good as ours, honestly." Aizen replied at the shell shocked Espada. "He is your son and subconsciously you knew that. And as he is your son, you will have to raise him."

"What?!" Grimmjow stood suddenly, looking a bit panicked. "How the hell am I supposed to do that on my own?! I'd end up fucking the kid up worse than Yammy and all the orders you've ever given him!"

Aizen looked mildly surprised at Grimmjow's reaction. "You've done well so far."

"For maybe an hour!"

"Then you will have to find him a mother, now won't you?" Aizen's inquiry stopped Grimmjow in his tracks and got Riddick's attention.

"An' just how in the hell do you expect me to find him a mother in this freak show?" Grimmjow half demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "The only women in this place are either squirts or Halibel an' her Fraccion. And last time I checked, Apache tried to barbecue the kid."

"Not here, but in the Realm of the Living." Aizen responded naturally. "Surely there _must_ be a young woman amid the living that would suit both of your needs."

"And how are we going to have a living person _here_? We're _Hollows_. She'd get eaten." The Sexta Espada remarked as he ran a hand through his hair. "And another thing—we can't be seen! We're in-fucking-visible! How the hell am I supposed to find him a mother if I can't be seen?!"

"Normally, gigai wouldn't work for an Arrancar but I have developed a gigai that _can_." Aizen offered the Espada. "You and Riddick go to the realm of the living, find your woman and bring her back here. I will do the rest."

Grimmjow looked at Riddick, getting those purple eyes back at him. He had to find someone to help raise this kid. Grimmjow knew he was in over his head and Riddick didn't deserve to have his life screwed up because Grimmjow had no idea what he was doing. So, all he had to do was find a woman who would be both mother and in turn wife. In theory, it wasn't too hard but theory and practice were 2 _very_ different things.

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Is it just me or is Grimmjow a lot smarter than the other Espada believe?

Well, Read and Review plz an' I'll update ASAP.


	3. Field Trip, pt 1

Chapter 3!!!! I know, overdue! But such is life, unfortunately.

Reviews:

**Dark Queen Helba:** Yeah, tell me about it. Hahaha! Yeah, good luck....an' REALLY good anti psychotics.

**Taeniaea:** (giggles) You'll just have to wait an' see!

**Harpygirl91:** Neither did Grimmjow!

**Delphine Pryde:** Thanks so much! Would ya believe I'm mostly winging it?

* * *

Full Metal Alchemist/Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Mai-Hime

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"The Pitter-Patter of Little Paws"**

**-**

**Chapter 3:**

**"Field Trip, pt. 1"**

**-**

Coming to the realm of the living was a _bad_ idea. Grimmjow knew that now and wished he had known that earlier. If he had, he would've refused the gigai he and Riddick were given and looked for a woman as an Espada. The gigai wasn't uncomfortable but the reimaku he and Riddick had to wear were annoying. However, they were a necessary annoyance, since they didn't need a certain Deputy Soul Reaper getting in their way.

To blend in amid the humans, Grimmjow was wearing a black tank top under an open, short sleeve light teal dress shirt over black pants and black tennis shoes. He had wrap around sunglasses over his eyes and studded accessories, like a belt and wrist bands. Riddick was dressed in a similar outfit but had a long sleeved black shirt under his light teal accessory shirt. He was wearing a black cap on his head and a pair of kiddie wrap arounds over his eyes, a black and aqua messenger backpack on his back.

Grimmjow was half lounging on a park bench while Riddick sat next to him, swinging his legs. Riddick wasn't being as subtle as his Espada father when it came to looking around. Grimmjow was watching the different women around the park, seeing mothers with children, women jogging in sporty outfits that demanded attention and couples enjoying the nice sunny day. He wasn't so sure that this was going to work.

"Hey, Papa Cat?" Riddick asked, getting Grimmjow's attention. "Was this a set up?"

"I dunno, possibly." Grimmjow admitted, still trying to get used to Riddick calling him that. It was cute, honestly but it would take time to get used to.

Grimmjow let out a sigh and got to his feet. "Come on, Cub. Let's go to a different area. Those broads have been by 5 times already."

"They like you." Riddick replied, hopping off the bench and taking Grimmjow's hand. "Would they be good?"

"If they're too vain to see the kid sitting next to me, then they ain't worth my time." Grimmjow responded, pausing for a moment. He picked Riddick up under his arms and slung him on to his back. Riddick put his arms around Grimmjow's shoulders and laid his cheek against the base of the Espada's neck with a soft smile on his face.

It was _hard_ to think about what was good for Riddick when he wanted to chase those pretty ladies down and show them why _he_ was the _Sexta Espada_. Riddick was 8. While he could fend for himself in a fight, from what Grimmjow could tell, Riddick couldn't fend for himself in this world. He'd be picked off in no time and not by another Hollow.

Grimmjow carried Riddick to another area of the park, a nice spot with a couple play structures and a field where some teenagers were playing. There were a few good strong trees Grimmjow could put himself in to watch the world without being seen. Riddick could go play while he hunted down an appropriate mother for the kid and managed to keep an eye on the mini Arrancar.

"Go play, Cub." Grimmjow said, crouching to let Riddick down. "Give me your bag and shades."

"Okay." Riddick lifted the strap over his head and handed it to Grimmjow, then handed him his sunglasses.

"Don't go picking any fights with humans and don't take off that reimaku." Grimmjow instructed, tucking the sunglasses away and slinging the strap onto his shoulder.

"Whatever ya say, Papa Cat." Riddick said before he ran to go play. Grimmjow sighed to himself with a half smile before he strolled to a suitable tree. He pulled himself up into the leafy branches with little effort. He hung the backpack on another branch and took off his sunglasses, hooking them to his shirt collar, as he settled himself on a branch to watch the world around him.

Grimmjow idly looked around, trying to see who would work and only finding those who wouldn't. It wasn't going as well as he had hoped and while it was mostly impatience on his behalf, he didn't want to rush and do something that would end up doing more harm than good to Riddick.

And speaking of Riddick, the mini Arrancar was perched on top of the monkey bars. It wasn't unusual, since there were other kids perched on top as well, but what was unusual was that Riddick was completely still and his eyes were staring straight at something. Grimmjow followed his line of sight and saw the soccer game he had been mostly ignoring…no, Riddick wasn't looking at the game.

He was looking at one of the players.

And that player definitely _pinged_ on Grimmjow's radar. She wasn't like all the other women he had seen all day. She wasn't trying to get people to look at her or keep herself clean. She was playing as hard and dirty as the boys around her. She wore a Caribbean blue tank top with spaghetti straps over a black one and low rider jeans with frayed cuffs and holes in the knees. She wore a studded belt through the belt loops but she didn't need it. She had charms hanging from a chain that led from a belt loop to her pocket.

Her shoes were tough tennis shoes and had seen some decent amount of action but were still hanging together. She had a few different rings on her manicured fingers and various bracelets around her wrists. Her ears were pierced six times and she had a belly button ring. There were black tattoos on her body: one below her right collar bone, one on her right palm, one on her right bicep and one on her lower back. And there was this scar on her back, one that looked like a lash burn and brand new but he could tell from the way she moved that it was years old.

Her black hair almost brushed her shoulders and looked like it was probably a few days or maybe a week old. She had it pulled back into a semi ponytail with a floral clip of some kind. Her long bangs fell in the way of her streamline oval glasses, giving her an air of mystery. There was a blue crystal and 2 chains that went down between her breasts and most likely hooked under her bra around her neck. And around her throat, like a choker, was a _cat_ collar with a bell, of all things.

The sight of the cat collar made Grimmjow smirk. If she only knew that she had become the prey of two Arrancar felines…

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Aw! That's just too cute! "Papa Cat"!

**Grimmjow:** Shaddup!

Hehe...(sweatdrop) Well, read and review please!


	4. Field Trip, pt 2

Overdue, yes but computer was MAJORLY sick and had to be worked on....and JUST when i had FINALLY gotten over my writer's block.

Talk about shitty timing....

**Reviews:**

**Dark Queen Helba:** Yeah, it's Hotaru all right. And well, that previous chap was to show you "Human Grimmjow" and his beginning interactions with Riddick as "Papa Cat".

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Full Metal Alchemist/Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Mai-Hime

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"The Pitter-Patter of Little Paws"**

**-**

**Chapter 4:**

**"Field Trip, pt. 2"**

**-**

"You know, you're such a damn liar." Hotaru groaned as she let Tessai tend to her left arm. Urahara closed the hatch to the basement training ground and looked at Hotaru who wasn't very happy.

"Oh, I lied?" Urahara asked surprised. "When did I lie?"

"You said the damage I receive as a shinigami won't transfer over to my body." Hotaru told him, hissing as Tessai gently patted her back. He pulled his hand back. "Bruised, just bruised. I landed hard into a roll when the old man forced me back."

"Now, now. I'm not old." Urahara chided, waving his fan at her. Hotaru let out a skeptic snort. "All right, I'm old but not as old as someone _else_ in this room."

Hotaru froze and pinned him with a death glare, throwing a pillow at him. "Fuck you, asshole! I didn't ask for being older than this damn race!"

"Language, young lady." Tessai mildly corrected.

"Sorry." Hotaru muttered, a slight sheepish blush on her cheeks. "I don't like being reminded how old I am."

Urahara just looked at the young woman stroking the feline Yoruichi in her lap as Tessai bandaged a couple of her other hand's fingers. Yoruichi had be firm in the decision in teaching Hotaru shunko, hakuda, hohou and zanjutsu after a run in with Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame, the 5th and 3rd Seats of Squad 11, caused her to die. The problem was that she hadn't turned into a regular soul but into a _soul reaper_ and she had come back at them with everything she had, literally just beating them bloody by the time Urahara and Yoruichi had come to investigate what was going on.

And that was the _previous_ weekend.

It was amazing how far Hotaru had come but it was mostly thanks to her being a shinobi. She grasped things fast and understood that most of these abilities would be best as last resort trunk cards in a fight. She knew that most techniques could be passed off as those of a ninja but some were obviously shinigami. She would have to be careful and careful she was.

"And Kisuke should know the meaning of _tact_ by now." Yoruichi commented, leaning into the long, gentle fingers scratching her behind the ears and stroking her fur. "You shouldn't pick on her. She weilds a poisoned sword and can flick the slimmest of needles into the most impossible of places. I suggest you stop teasing her before you get hurt."

"Fine, fine. I'll leave the poor little victim alone." Urahara earned a bandaged middle finger. "Would that be an offer? I'll accept if it is."

"Grow up, you perv." Hotaru shot back at him. She redirected her attention to the large man putting butterfly bandages on the cut on her bruised left cheek and the ones by her eyes. "Am I good to go? I'm meeting the others over at the park to play soccer."

"Soccer?" Urahara scoffed. "Not with _that_ ankle. You have to be kidding."

"Your ankle will be fine but don't over do it." Tessai reassured. "If it begins to hurt or you do something that does more damage, get off it immediately. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir." Hotaru nodded, her short semi ponytail bouncing. It felt weird for her to have short hair again, since it brushed the tops of her shoulders, but it had been either her hair or her head when an orphan had grabbed her hair in a fight back at Fuuka Academy.

Hotaru got to her feet, feeling the slight twinge in her ankle. She didn't mention it, nor did she set down Yoruichi. She scratched Yoruichi under the feline's chin, knowing how good it felt to be loved on like that. It had been a while since Hotaru was a cat but it was a sensation one never really forgot.

"I'd take you with me but I don't think you'd like to be chased by Enmaru and Akamaru all afternoon while the rest of us are chasing a black and white ball." Hotaru told the cat-embodied shinigami as she headed towards the front of the store. Her bag and shoes were all ready out there, waiting for her, since they had been in Ururu's care.

"It's all right. I wouldn't be up to being chased either." Yoruichi reassured as Hotaru sat on the indoor veranda and set Yoruichi down beside her. She took a pair of socks out of her shoes, a pair of boots, and slipped them on, hiding her right ankle and its wrappings. "I suppose having you attack me with shunko after just learning it 2 days before was a foolish idea. I could have broken your ankle and your cousin doesn't know that you're here, learning from shinigami."

"Only Mori and Kari know and they've sworn not to tell." Hotaru said, pulling on her boots.

"Who are you playing soccer with?" Yoruichi inquired, wondering why she'd need to wear boots.

"A few people from Fuuka, some from Karakura First High, a handful from Shinra Academy—just some friends from all over." Hotaru answered distractedly, now looking through her bag. She took out a glasses case and Yoruichi saw the tennis shoes inside, their laces tied together. So, the boots were just shoes until she got to the soccer field. "There's gonna be a few ninja there, since Mori and Kari are coming. Kiba, too."

"I see. If they get too rough, I expect you to sit out." Yoruichi responded idly as Hotaru zipped up her backpack and slung it on to her shoulders. The girl scratched the cat behind the ears. "You can't be taught if you can't move."

"No prob." Hotaru reassured with a smile and a giggle. "I'll see you later, Yoruichi-sensei. Thanks for the patch up, Tessai!"

Hotaru left the shop with a slight bounce in her step, not even appearing to have a hurt ankle. She ruffled Jinta's hair and patted Ururu on the head as she hustled out of the lot and down the street to the bus station, where the bus would be arriving soon. All she had to do was hop the bus to the train station and catch the train to another district where she'd get off then catch the bus to the park.

It would be complicated to someone on the outside but it was nearly routine to Hotaru who escaped the confines of Fuuka Academy at least twice a month. She had to get away from the confines of the campus before she went nuts. After all, listening to Haruka Suzushiro for 3 days straight was enough to drive anyone crazy, let alone 13.

And being a HiME, basically someone who fought unusual organisms, Hotaru had to put up with Suzushiro a _lot_ during the school hours. The anacronym "HiME" stood for Highly-advanced Materializing Equipment and a Hime had an Element, an item that allowed her to fight the orphans, those unusual organisms. She was one of about 20 or so on campus but she only knew a few by name and face or by Child, the next stage weapon used to defeat the orphans. The problem with a Child was that you had to have a Key, a male that amplified a Hime's power to produce a Child.

Unfortunately, Hotaru didn't know who was the Key to her _main_ Element but she knew the Keys to her secondary Elements to summon her Child only at half the actual strength. She wanted her main Key to unlock her Child's _full_ power to keep Suzushiro off her back. No one knew how ridiculous it was for a 3rd year to follow around a recently promoted 1st year in high school, when she was supposed to be a 3rd year in middle school.

Curse her genius mind.

The bus pulled up just as Hotaru reached the bus stop and hopped in, taking her bus pass from her back pocket. She slid it through the little charge kiosk and pocketed it once more. She took a ring hanging from the ceiling and let herself just space out until her stop.

Her thoughts went unbiddenly towards a memory best left forgotten. It was some stupid little argument that had gone out of control. It had been with her friend through another, Horokeu Usui—preferably Horo-Horo—over something as stupid as Hotaru not wanting to go up to the cold, wet snow in the mountains to spend a 3-day weekend with him. In his anger, Horo-Horo's elemental power, his spiritual element of ice, had overwhelmed their surroundings and froze Hotaru's legs in place. The problem was that the angrier Horo had gotten, the colder the ice had become and soon, Hotaru had lost all feeling in her legs.

When Horo had realized what he had done, he calmed down instantly and broke her free. He then spent the entire weekend and most of the following week, helping her get the feeling back in her legs. He gradually warmed them up with water and blankets and he got her circulation flowing with gentle massages. And the guilt had weighed heavily on his shoulders.

As a shaman with an elemental spirit, Horo had been taught better control than what had been displayed and by a momentary lapse in that control, he had done harm to a friend. Horo had done everything he could to make it up to her and to apologize but he had reawoken an old fear that had taken over 35 deaths to bury deep within Hotaru's memory.

The fear of being sealed away in some place cold.

Hotaru dreaded being sealed for the fact she would be alone but being cold…that was something much deeper. Since she didn't have a soul, when the cold entered and settled in her body, it stayed for a far longer period of time and reminded her that she was hollow inside with no Pure Heart Crystal, Sailor Crystal or Soul Crystal of her own. It scared her, that emptiness inside of her and getting cold just made it worse. As long as she was warm, she didn't have to think about it and it was why she was finky about keeping herself warm even on a cool summer night.

The memory of being frozen just made her shiver, bringing her back to earth as the bus began to slow. It wasn't her stop but she was anxious to get off. She wished the bus would hurry and get to the terminal she needed so she could now leave this chilly air behind.

She hopped off the bus and wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn't felt like this in a while and oh, did it make her feel a little sick to her stomach. Her right arm ached and there was a knot forming in her gut. She was hungry, or _parts_ of her were hungry. Her Mikura parts wanted blood and her Bount half desired reishi. She had gone too long without either and she was _hurt_. Both were _always_ the first to complain.

…and there was someone following her. This guy, he had been paying a little too much attention to her when she got on the bus and now he had followed her off. She'd duck into an alleyway and if he followed, she'd eat him. If he didn't, then he understood the danger and saved his own life. Somehow, Hotaru didn't figure this guy to be that smart.

She flexed her right hand as she slipped into an alley between two buildings. She could sense that man was beginning to close in. Hotaru relaxed her control and spun around, her flesh arm turning mechanical and the claw aimed at his chest. It hit him dead on, much to his shock, and the claws unfolded from the back and dug into his back, a barb piercing his chest. Hotaru jerked her arm back and the chain connected to the claw retracted, speeding the man to her. She grabbed his shirt front and tore the cloth from around his neck.

"What-what are you?" The man whispered panickedly.

"A predator who only _fakes_ being prey." Hotaru retorted. She opened her mouth and sunk her teeth into his neck, the barb going deeper. Tubed interwoven into her chain shook for a minute and soon turned dark red as she drained him of blood. His reishi rushed over her tongue and down her throat. Her body soon made use of the blood and reishi, healing the damage Urahara had dealt to her.

Her cuts and aching bones were the first things to heal and her bruises began to lessen. Hotaru pulled back, her arm returning to normal as the man turned to dust and dissolved away. She dusted off her hands and clothes.

"And that's why I'm _still_ top of the food chain." She muttered to the dust, pulling off all her bandages. Her fingers were fine and her cuts were gone. She could feel that her back was only lightly bruised and she felt so much stronger now that she had been earlier.

Hotaru strolled out of the alleyway and to the street. She let out a sharp whistle and waved at a taxi, getting a driver's attention. A cab pulled over and Hotaru vaulted over the guardrail. She opened the back door and slid into the back seat.

"Could you take me to the Obishirou Park please?" Hotaru asked of the driver.

"You have enough money, sweetheart?" He asked. He wasn't any older than Urahara, physically speaking, and they apparently had the same mindset. It pissed her off that he was using his rear view mirror to look down her shirt.

Hotaru drew a senbon and put it to his neck with lightning speed. His eyes went wide the instant he felt the cold metal against his flesh. "I'm an Anbu, hon. Of _course_, I've got enough money. And get that damn perverted mind out of the gutter. I'm a ninja, not a call girl. Now, get me to the damn park."

"Y-yes, ma'am." He nodded as Hotaru leaned back in her seat and put her senbon away. He pulled away from the curb and back onto the street.

Hotaru pushed her glasses higher on her nose and stared out a window, fiddling with the ring on her left middle finger. She was in a different world, thinking about what her main Key would be like. She had a few assholes, a couple sweethearts, a few bad boys and maybe a jerk or two for the Keys of her secondary Elements. Maybe her main Key would be different.

Maybe he would be stronger and gentler than the others. Maybe he wouldn't let her do all the fighting herself. Maybe he'd stand by her side and give her Child so much power that she would rival the 3 World's Greatest Beauties in power. She was a low level Queen with her combined power as a Hime _and_ a Princess but she wasn't a real match for their power. Marie Antonniette and Mei Fung had smacked her around plenty of times.

She needed her Child at full power. She needed her main Key.

"We're here, ma'am." The driver said, cutting through her thoughts. Hotaru took the cash from her pocket and paid the man, slipping out the door and half slamming it behind her.

Damn. Thinking about how many times Marie Antonniette and Mei Fung had defeated her _always_ put Hotaru in a bad mood. She could beat _any_ of the other Hime and Princesses. It wasn't that hard, even without her Child and no Orphan dared stand against her. And since she was stronger than the others, beating those two bimbos shouldn't be _that_ much of a problem.

However, Hotaru had the phantom pains to say otherwise on the subject.

"Yo, Phantom!"

Hotaru looked up from watching the park's path just inches in front of her feet. A blond with a ponytail in a soccer jersey and jeans with tattered cuffs was waving to her with an arm that was metal and an arm that was flesh. He was grinning like an idiot and had a younger blond following him, dressed in the same team jersey but different number, different player and jeans in better condition. Seeing them made Hotaru smile and shoulder her bag better.

"Ed, Al!" Hotaru waved back to them. She hustled down the path to meet up with them. She was glad to see them, especially since she hadn't seen them in a while. Okay, they went to Fuuka Academy as well and Al was one of her Keys but it was hard to meet up when they were at the dorms and Hotaru lived with Tsunade.

"For someone who has a busy schedule, you were sure miandering a long." Ed teased, getting Hotaru to playfully punch him in the abs.

"Like you're one to talk. Those metal limbs weigh you down." Hotaru shot back. "An' if you slow me down, I'll kick your ass."

"Then you'd have to pull Alphonse off of you." Ed retorted.

"Nah, I'd keep him around. He's got value." Hotaru tugged on Ed's ponytail. "He's mature, unlike his big brother, Edward."

"Oh, so _that's_ how it's gonna be, huh?" Edward retorted as Hotaru pulled away from the 2 brothers. She was going backwards and she stuck her tongue out at Ed. "Oh, I'm not going to let you get away with that! I am going to get you good, Little Girl!"

"You're going to have to catch me first, Little Boy!" Hotaru called back. She didn't get more than 10, maybe 15 feet away before she stopped _dead_, every extraordinary fiber in her being on high alert.

Something was so very _wrong_. Every cell in her body thrummed with the cry of danger. It wasn't good when she felt like this. There was no reishi or demonic aura in the air and it wasn't a crystal signature. If she didn't know any better…

"A negative chakra signature?" There was only one way to be sure.

Hotaru pulled the hair tie from her hair and closed her eyes, calling upon her Hime Element. A thin green vine appeared just a few hairs from the back of her head. It grew into several tendrils that combed her hair back into a semi ponytail and wrapped around her hair as a new holder. Three buds accompanied by two leaves each grew and then the buds bloomed. The flowers were shaped like a star on top of an upside down star. The bottom star was purple and the top star was lavender with a green center that seemed to be a camera lens in the middle of that green center.

She touched these flowers and drew her hand away, a green stem topped with a bud forming in her hand. She let the bud bloom into another one of these purple flowers. The center and its lens eye looked at her, focusing on her. She held the flower in her hands, indecision making her bite her lower lip. Using her element in puplic like this was a good way for District One to find her and with an evolving element, she was as valuable to them as Mikoto Minagi and Mai Tokiha. And those suited bastards had nearly captured her before, if only because Hotaru had been running from those Sears Foundations creeps.

This negative chakra signature was so forboding but was checking it out really worth the risk? If she wasn't careful, this negative chkra signature could pose to be a dangerous new enemy. And that wasn't worth innocent live if it only risked her own.

Her decision semi solid in her mind, Hotaru closed her eyes and called upon her element's power. A light purple aura radiated off her skin and a ripple surged outward from her feet, causing glowing green plants to grow out of the ground. The buds bloomed into more of the flowers and the plants broke apart, leaving the flowers to float in the air, spinning lazily like the other flower. They rose into the air and then scattered in every direction as lavender streams of light.

She looked down at the single flower still in her hand. It glowed softly and split into several more flowers before coming together again to form a bigger version of itself with out the stem. It laid as flat as it could in Hotaru's hands and looked at her with its big lensed green eye. It looked back up to the sky and projected an image of the city, high above the business district. The image changed to another district, a residential one, showing her the houses and people still at their homes.

"Hotaru, what is it?" Alphonse asked as the image disappeared and Hotaru slipped the flower head into her pocket.

"It's nothing." Hotaru lied, not looking at the brothers. They had caught up with her but so had her imagination, showing her the images of her friends maimed and bloody. If she didn't find this thing first, that would most likely be their fate.

She glanced at them over her shoulder. "Come on. The others are probably waiting for us by now. It wouldn't be good if we kept them waiting."

Hotaru started down the path again, gripping the straps of her backpack. This terrible forboding feeling…she hadn't felt anything like it since Galaxia. Of course, there hadn't been anyone like Galaxia since the gold-clad Senshi of Destruction was defeated but Hotaru had only felt this kind of inevitable dread during that time.

Could there finally be someone stronger than Sailor Galaxia that would come turn her life upside down once more?

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If she only KNEW....

Well, I know I'm going to get scolded for having this long overdue....

Please, read and review.....and please don't kill me ^^;


	5. Soccer Game, pt 1

My computer was only HALF of my problems. Writer's block is mostly at fault, whether I like or not.

So, here's the latest installment. Sorry it's so late.

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Full Metal Alchemist/Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Mai-Hime

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"The Pitter-Patter of Little Paws"**

**Chapter 5:**

**"Soccer Game, pt. 1"**

"Hotaru-sama!"

"Huh?" Hotaru turned towards the delighted unified shout as she set her backpack by the cluster of canvas camping chairs where the spectators would be sitting. She barely had 3 seconds' warning before 2 girls ran up to her but one pouncing on Hotaru without hesitation. "Whoa—umph!"

"I found you! I found you, Hotaru-sama!" Pirika giggled delightedly, her arms around Hotaru's waist and her legs tangled with Hotaru's.

"…oww…" Hotaru groaned, a hand to her head. "…seriously oww…"

"Get the hell off my cousin, Usui, or I'll make you regret ever being born!" Hanabi snapped, grabbing Pirika's arm and trying to pull her off Hotaru. Pirika whined and clung tighter to Hotaru's waist.

"No! I found Hotaru-sama so I'm on her team!" Pirika protested loudly.

"Get off of her or I'll make you bleed!" Hanabi threatened darkly. She pulled harder on Pirika's arm. "I'm a ninja, Usui! I can break your arm without any effort—and I will if you don't get off my cousin!"

_Well, at least Hanabi's too preoccupied to call me "Nee-sempai" like she's been doing lately._ Hotaru thought, trying to figure out the best way to keep Hanabi from killing Pirika and from hurting Hanabi's feelings. For some reason, Hanabi was more inclined—naye, _delighted_ to say she was related to Hotaru and was a bit reluctant, in turn, of admitting she was Hinata's younger sister. Hotaru didn't understand it but she supposed it was a phase all younger siblings went through, though Hotaru didn't know if it was true, since she was an only child.

Hotaru closed her eyes. "Let me up, Pirika. I'm sore from training and my patience isn't infinite today." She didn't have to look to know that Hanabi had gone _really_ still. As of late, when Hotaru got annoyed, she would shock people with her lightning chakra. Hanabi had seen her use it on Naruto when he insisted on teasing her about her short hair. "I'm serious, Pirika. Let me up or face the consequences."

Hanabi let go of Pirika's arm quick and back pedaled a couple steps but Pirika misinterpreted the reason and hugged Hotaru tighter in delight. Hotaru let out a soft sigh and tapped into her lightning chakra, letting it flow over her skin.

_**ZZZAP**_

"YIPE!" Pirika yelped, literally jumping off Hotaru. The Senshi-turned-kunoichi pushed herself off her back and fixed her glasses.

"I gave you a warning you didn't heed. What happened was your own fault." Hotaru told the blue haired girl calmly, her indifference completely evident in her voice, expression and posture. Pirika sniffled and attempted to give Hotaru the puppy dog eyes, like Alyssa or Mikoto would do but Hotaru just looked at her totally unphased, her chin braced on the heel of her hand and her elbow on her knee. "Is there something you want or is this just to pull at my nonexistent heartstrings?"

"But I wanna be Hotaru-sama's Key!" Pirika half sobbed.

Hotaru knew fake water works when she saw them, having been raised by the Senshi multiple times. Pirika's tears were no more real than an American Hollywood movie. The kid would make a decent actress if she ever decided to do films or theater.

"Yo, Horo!" Hotaru called over to the ice wielding shaman who was lacing up tennis shoes across the field. He looked up from his shoes, an energy bar half in its wrapper hanging from his mouth. Hotaru jerked her thumb at Pirika. "Can I feed her to the Spirit of Thunder?"

As suspected, Pirika's tears cut off instantly at the thought of her soul being devoured. Horo-Horo took his energy bar from his mouth to respond.

"Nah, Dad would gut me if I let that happen an' I'm kinda partial to my innards stayin' in my hide, if ya wouldn't mind, Firefly." Horo responded, getting Pirika to sigh with relief. "But if she keeps annoying you, be my guest. We'll just blame it on Hao."

"Horokeu!" Pirika shrieked with indignation, jumping to her feet and shaking her fist at him. "You jerk!"

"Knew it. Fake tears." Hotaru said, getting Pirika to "erk" at being caught. The black haired girl got to her feet and put her hands in her back pockets. "For the record, I knew you were faking the whole time. It's the same shtick Usagi would pull on me when she wanted something to go her way. It helps that I'm practically a sociopath."

"Aw, man." Pirika muttered, dejectedly. Hotaru picked up her bag as Pirika shuffled off towards her brother and unzipped the main pocket, taking out her tennis shoes.

The black haired girl just shook her head at Pirika's antics. "That girl gets more and more hopeless as the days go on."

"I could always sic Duran on her." A voice offered. Hotaru looked up at the one offering to attack Pirika and smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind, Natsuki." Hotaru sat in the grass and rolled up the legs of her jeans to unlace and take off her boots. Natsuki hissed softly, seeing Hotaru's bandaged ankle and the dark bruising that was peeking out above her sock. "It's doing better since I ate somebody."

"Yeah, but are you sure it's a good idea to play on ankle that bad?" Natsuki asked, crouching by Hotaru. "I mean, if Shizuru saw that, she'd make you sit out and she'd make you stay put—whether you liked it or not."

"And that's why I'm putting on my tennis shoes before she gets over here." Hotaru replied, pulling on her first tennis shoe and tying it up before pushing down the pant leg. "I'm craving to run, to compete. I can't get that at Fuuka, not with Suzushiro and her hard on for riding my case."

Natsuki sighed and stood, offering Hotaru a hand up. "You're gonna get me in trouble, pipsqueak."

"It's been giving me trouble since that one on one I did with Suzushiro after Horo accidentally iced up my legs." Hotaru admitted, taking Natsuki's hand and letting the other girl pull her to her feet. "Training as hard as I did with it being like this wasn't exactly the most _brilliant_ thing I've done but that's in the past and I ain't in the mood to time travel."

"So, you up to pounding those boys into the ground?" Natsuki asked, putting her arm around Hotaru's neck.

"In the ground—hell, I'm gonna make them _bleed_." Hotaru scoffed. She wanted hard and rough, to get dirty and playing with some of these guys was going to do _just_ that. "Just tell Shizuru to keep the hospital on speed dial. I have a feeling that this is gonna get rough."

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Rough? Well, gee-with all the ninja, shinigami, HiMe and shamans-no idea WHY she would think that. X3

Please read and review.


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